In Barnstaple, it is widely acknowledged that pre-loved jewellery is considered just as valuable as modern jewellery, if not more. The antique jewellery trade is seen as ‘very old fashioned’, which is why value can more often than not increase significantly.
In the jewellery trade, an ‘antique’ piece describes a piece of jewellery which was made at least 100 years ago, so that means that for nowadays the jewellery must’ve been made in 1921 or before to be labelled as ‘antique’. Therefore, more often than not, pieces of the antique nature must be restored and cleaned. However, any piece of antique jewellery which has been repaired or restored must still be at least 50% of its original origin in order to still be labelled as ‘antique’ or ‘vintage’. When looking into antique gold, it is important to remember 5 key principles, which are: quality of the piece; rarity; expertise; peace of mind; and personal touch.
What are the different types of antique gold?
- Gold filled jewellery – these are pieces of jewellery crafted from a layer of solid gold, which has been mechanically bonded to a base made up of Sterling Silber or other base metal.
- Gold plated jewellery – this is when a thin layer of gold is deposited over the surface of another metal, usually copper or silver. This is far thinner, less durable and cheaper to make, which was mainly used in the 1840’s, but is still widely used today.
- Gold cased jewellery – this type of jewellery was popular for the use of holding pieces such as fobs, small charms, keys, etc. in the Victorian era. Gold cased jewellery is extremely durable and lasts a long while, which helped its popularity.
- Gold ‘front and back’ – mainly used in golden antique lockets, this type of jewellery style was used when the front and back of a locket was formed from solid gold.
Other, less popular types of antique gold include that of: gold gilt; gold vermeil; pinchbeck; metal-core golden jewellery; bloomed gold; and many, many others.
Why buy antique jewellery from us?
We have a pristine reputation in our community as being professional and well experienced jewellers. We treat all jewellery with the upmost care and competence to ensure the value remains the same and doesn’t get damaged. When it comes to antique jewellery, it is important that this care is given, as the jewellery is older and significantly more fragile.
At Devon Gold, we offer a wide range of antique jewellery, including gold broaches, rings, chains, coins, watches, and various other golden jewellery. The full list of what we buy and sell is under our ‘what we buy’ tab on our menu. Also, here at Devon Gold, we are always 100% honest and transparent about every vintage piece we sell. This means that you will never unknowingly buy or sell anything to us without repercussions or false information.
For more information on antique jewellery sold in Barnstaple, get in contact with us today. Alternatively, look into our information pages located on our website!